How to Aquaponics
What is Aquaponics?
Aquaponics is a super simple system for growing healthy vegetables, plants and fish based on natures balance and the nitrogen cycle.
The term comes from a combination of two separate systems; Aquaculture (growing and caring for fish and water animals) and Hydroponics (using water and nutrients to grow plants outside of soil). Combining these two systems means you have a 100% organic vegetable and fish stock with minimal maintenance and work.
The system is so automated due to the waste product of the fish being very nutritious to the plants and vice versa. The effluent rich water created by the fish is broken down into nutrients by beneficial bacteria living below the base of the plants. This is then filtered back to the fish as clean and healthy water. The process works by using the ammonia created as a waste product by the fish in, the ammonia is then converted into nitrates by the bacteria living in the planting media. The end effect is extremely healthy fish and plants.
How to get started in Aquaponics
Maintaining your new Aquaponic garden is incredibly easy; in fact the most complicated part is setting up your system, so we’ll start there!
There are all-in-one starter kits available but I find that in order to learn the most and get the best out of your setup you should follow a tutorial and source the parts separately. This will give you far more flexibility and control over the design and scale of your installation.
Aquaponics 4 you is an incredibly useful and thorough starter guide which will walk you through, from start to finish, full design and implementation of your first Aquaponics projects.
Balance is key in running a successful Aquaponics project so there is a separate article detailing Ammonia and Nitrate control, this is a fascinating part of Aquaponics. You can read more about the subject in our Maintaining a healthy Nitrate / ammonia balance article.
Choosing the method for growing your plants will depend on how adventurous you are feeling and your level of experience. I want to help out the beginners with this so I will nearly always refer to the media filled beds method as it is the simplest and quickest way to get started.
Below I’ve included types of systems with pros and cons.
Continuous Flow
This is the most direct and simple system in Aquaponics. The system works by pumping water from the fish tank directly to a grow bed above. From there the water trickles down through the grow medium (this could be clay, gravel etc.) and straight back down into the fish tank as cleaner water.
This is a simple way to get fast results.
Once the water enters the Grow bed it has a tendency to go straight through and doesn’t spread as well.
This is easily remedied by having a good irrigation matrix. Piping evenly spread across the bed should ensure good nutrient coverage.
Ebb and Flow (aka Flood and Drain)
Ebb and Flow is one of the more commonly used Aquaponics systems as the movement of the water has a flushing effect on solids around the grow bed.
The system setup is very similar to continuous flow, the grow bed(s) sits above the fish tank and a pump brings the nutrient rich water from the tank into the grow bed. This will fill the grow bed to certain level or for a certain time. From there, once the water has sat in the grow bed and reached a certain height it can then flow back down into the tank below.
Helps avoid rotten roots and can dislodge solid matter.
This is a highly scalable system
There are very few disadvantages to this method although it could be seen as marginally more complex than a continuous flow system.
Sump Tank Pump
A slightly more elaborate method but with more exact control than the others, the sump tank pump method requires a third tank for the used water which allows you to precisely control water levels in the system.
The sump tank often sits below the overall system. The water is pumped from the fish tank into the grow bed(s) and back out into the sump tank. If the water level in the sump tank gets too high a float switch on the pump is activated removing the excess and sending it back to the fish tank.
The system provides exacting control over water levels.
The sump tank can allow for a secondary pool of fingerling fish, ready to be moved into the main tank.
Sump pumping requires two pumps and thus slightly more care in implementing the system
If you are feeling creative or are maybe looking to build your own system here is a quick start list of the sort of supplies you will need. In depth details for your particular method would be outlined in the guide you use for your system:
What do I need?
System guide
This is the best way to ensure you don’t waste time and money only to find you have made an error in the early stages which will cost to correct. Aquaponics 4 you is a great guide that will give you a step by step to building your own system from scratch, provides nutrition information and even recipes for when you have grown all your produce.
The guide itself has a huge number of features including design tutorials, a DVD step-by-step guide and even over $300 worth of gardening and recipe books! The process itself is easy to follow and details the quickest ways to get some truly impressive results.
Fish / Sump Tank
This will all depend on the type of system you wish to build and will be outlined in the system guide. Often you will find that basic plastic containers ranging from anything as small as Tupperware dishes to industrial barrels will be the kind of thing you will need. It is important to know that you must use food grade plastics in your projects, as chemical leaching could become an issue.
Grow Bed(s)
The pots or beds you will be using to hold your plants and vegetables. This will often come down to personal taste and scale of your project. Specific plastic container units are often used and will need to be customized to your system design.
You can use traditional planting beds and pots too, but the same rules always apply throughout everything you will be doing here. Make sure there are no chemicals present in what you choose and that your materials are food grade, any chemical leaking harmful or not will still be passed on to your fish, your plants and more importantly, you!
Grow Medium
Grow media is the substrate that supports the plants in your systems. There is a huge number of possible types of grow media but these VERY rarely be soil based. You can use gravel-based substrates but I generally recommend clay pebbling.
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Bed Stands
The platform for carrying your grow beds, this is likely something you will be creating yourself depending on the height of your system and layout requirements. You would normally refer to your guide for this.
Irrigation
Again this will depend on your particular setup, but most commonly you would use PVC piping to flow the water between tanks, beds and to create your irrigation matrix should you use one. You will also need to have drainage for your tanks depending on your choice of system.
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Pumps
Pumps will vary in size depending on the scale and type of system you use, but all will require some type of solid removal or processing capability.
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Tools
This is a bit of a generic necessity but is imperative nonetheless. A hole bore and power drill will be needed when creating the irrigation for your grow beds and when plugging your fish tanks.
Handsaws and pipe cutters will also be very handy for cutting the PVC piping used in your irrigation system.
Fish
On the most basic level, the less fish you have then the less waste product they create, leading to less nutrients being sent to the grow beds.A good ratio to use when filling a tank with fingerlings is 1 fish per 10 litres (2.5 gallons)
I have a separate section for fish, as it is a big topic and will depend one where in the world you are growing from and which type of system you are using. To learn more, have a read of the “Aquaponics fish” article.
Plants and/or Vegetables
The most simple and common of plants to grow are leafy vegetables that grow and fruit above ground. Tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and cabbage are all very popular choices. The grow times are much faster than traditional farming methods as all the nutrients that the plant root needs are literally on tap!
In a similar vein to choosing fish, this section will depend on exactly what it is you want to get out of your system. Aquaponics is a great way to create healthy and organic produce, so have a look at the “What can I grow with Aquaponics” article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell my Fish and Vegetables?
There is fast becoming a specialist market for people wanting to sell their produce. Aquaponics is often taken up as a large scale farming method due its low water and energy costs.
Does Aquaponics work in a cold climate
Yes, Aquaponics works in all climates, you are only limited by the types of plants that will grow in your local environment and even then, that issue is overcome by creating a greenhouse growing environment.
Is there a minimum size requirement for an Aquaponic Garden?
Absolutely not, Aquaponics is based on balance and ratio; in fact you could even grow a window garden with a small scale Aquaponics setup. Scaling at this size takes extra care as initial ammonia spikes are quick to arise. As a practice it is still more than possible.
Do I need a special diet for my fish?
The more natural your fish diet the better, there is no special Aquaponics diet and for best results just follow the guild lines for the specific breed of fish you use in your system.
Can I use growth enhancers or pesticides on my plants?
This is definitely not recommended! Remember whatever you put into the system at anyone point flows everywhere. What you put on your plants your fish will end up eating too!
Is Aquaponics safe?
Yes, Aquaponics is extremely safe as it is totally natural, in fact, done correctly, all of your produce will be 100% organic.Remember if you are starting out from new, follow a guide like Aquaponics 4 you to get you up and running.